10 Lead Generation Ideas for Consulting Companies

Consultants are in high demand as businesses adapt to a landscape reconfigured by digital transformation. Still, winning business in this environment requires effective marketing strategies that convey your value proposition. New business starts with generating leads, so here are 10 strategies to boost lead generation for consulting companies:

1. Blogging/Thought Leadership
2. Webinars
3. Advertising
4. Content Marketing
5. First-party Research
6. Video
7. Social Media
8. Website/Inbound Marketing
9. Retargeting/Remarketing
10. Referrals

Ironpaper builds growth engines for marketing success. Learn more about our methodology for driving leads that drive revenue.

Blogging/Thought Leadership

These aren’t necessarily the same thing. A blog is not always true thought leadership, but we can look at these together from the perspective of providing education and insights to an audience in order to drive awareness of your expertise. Blogs also benefit your SEO, while thought leadership in paid or earned media can be a major brand builder and lead generator.

Webinars

Webinars are a great way to demonstrate your value proposition, gain visibility, and build trust with prospects. Make sure you deliver useful content to ensure attendees get value in exchange for their time and data. Also, consider how you can repurpose your recordings following the sessions. Don’t let all your efforts end with a one-and-done event. Use the content for future marketing and client education.

Advertising

The traditional avenue of paid advertising is still an effective, scalable, and repeatable way to drive prospects. However, it’s critical that you test and optimize your ad efforts in order to attract the right leads and avoid poor return on investment.

Content Marketing

Long-form content like whitepapers and ebooks can demonstrate the expertise and value a consulting firm brings to a client. These formats help build trust and make for a great lead generation offer on a landing page. 

First-party Research

First-party research reports offer amazing amplification potential. By creating surveys or curating some of your lead intelligence, your brand can demonstrate thought leadership and gain notoriety within the industry. Consider publishing or offering your survey findings to external websites and blogs to help drive visibility from additional audiences and build a reputation.

Video

YouTube is the second-largest search engine on the planet and makes a great place to house your past webinars, speeches, or any other video content that can promote your services. Video has shown to be highly effective at drawing engagement, so consider using it on your website and social media to attract new leads.

Social Media

Speaking of social media, consultants can use these platforms to share ideas, answer questions, and participate in communities where leads are already engaging. Social media are also a great way to show more about your company culture and values - things that have proven to have an impact on buyer decision-making.

Website/Inbound Marketing

Websites are table stakes these days. But in order for your website to help drive leads, make sure your messaging is “buyer-focused” and speaks to the problems you can help clients solve. Avoid leading with or over-relying on autobiographical details like how long you’ve been in business or awards you may have won. Let prospects know how you can address their pain points.

Retargeting/Remarketing

Don’t let visitors to your website or content slip away. Remember, potential leads aren’t always ready to take action, so use remarketing to stay in front of them and top-of-mind for the moment their buying intent progresses.

Referrals

There’s no substitute for word-of-mouth advertising. Leverage your existing relationships and clients to generate leads. Ask happy clients for recommendations, and it doesn’t hurt to incentivize people to refer you in some way.

Not Just Lead Generation … Quality Lead Generation

Remember, leads for your consulting business are good, but it’s quality leads that turn into customers. Unqualified and bad leads only drag your ROI, so make sure your lead gen efforts are backed by buyer-centric messaging and data-driven optimization.